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San Juan de la Maguana is a city and municipality in the western region of the
Starting in the late 17th century, the San Juan valley began to be inhabited again by colonists from other settlements in the colony and the Canary islands. In 1733, the town of San Juan was founded once more, close to the site of the original settlement. The town grew steadily during the 18th century, with a population of 1,851 according to a census done in 1777; of them, 1,223 were free and 618 were enslaved. Like many towns in the region at the time, the primary economic activity was cattle ranching. The town exported hundreds of cattle to the neighboring French colony of 
Since its inception San Juan flourished due to its fertile lands and climate. a diverse range of fruits were grown in the town; the exploitation of sugarcane as a commercial item of importance, were the main line for the employment of labor. San Juan possessed in principle four "mills" for the exploitation of cane. The first of these mills was installed in the center of town.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and capital of the San Juan province. It was one of the first cities established on the island; founded in 1503, and was given the name of San Juan de la Maguana by San Juan Bautista and the Taino name of the valley: Maguana. The term Maguana means "the first stone, the unique stone".
Geography
San Juan de la Maguana is in the center of Valley of San Juan with the Central ("Cordillera Central") mountain range to the north and east, and the Sierra de Neiba to the south. To the west there is a range of low hills. The San Juan River is the main river of the region, and the city was founded on the eastern side of this river.History
San Juan de la Maguana is one of the oldest cities in the country . It occupies the same valley where the chiefdom seat had Maguana and the historic "Corral of the Indians". Their leader and warlord was Caonabo (which in the aboriginal language means "great lord of the earth"), he this chief led one of the most notable battles against the Spanish colonizers. Alonso de Ojeda captured Caonabo in a ruse. Caonabo's town later became the site of San Juan de la Maguana, founded by Rodrigo Mejia Trillo. San Juan de la Maguana was founded in 1503 by Diego Velázquez. However, the town experienced little growth and was largely depopulated by 1574 and abandoned by 1605 as part of theDevastations of Osorio
The Devastations of Osorio (in Spanish, ''las Devastaciones de Osorio'') refer to a period in the colonial history of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in the early 17th century. In order to eliminate the contraband trade in the north and the nort ...
.
Starting in the late 17th century, the San Juan valley began to be inhabited again by colonists from other settlements in the colony and the Canary islands. In 1733, the town of San Juan was founded once more, close to the site of the original settlement. The town grew steadily during the 18th century, with a population of 1,851 according to a census done in 1777; of them, 1,223 were free and 618 were enslaved. Like many towns in the region at the time, the primary economic activity was cattle ranching. The town exported hundreds of cattle to the neighboring French colony of Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to ref ...
, surpassed in volume only by the towns of Hincha (now part of Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
as Hinche) and El Seibo.
San Juan was temporarily ruled by the French when the Spanish colony was ceded to France under the Peace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France during the French Revolution (represented by François de Barthélemy).
*The first was with Prussia (represented by Karl August von Hardenberg) on 5 April;
*The sec ...
in 1795. It returned to Spanish jurisdiction in 1809 following the Spanish reconquest of Santo Domingo
The war for Spanish reestablishment in Santo Domingo, better known as the Reconquista, was fought between November 7, 1808, and July 9, 1809. In 1808, following Napoleon's invasion of Spain, the ''criollos'' of Santo Domingo revolted against F ...
. In 1820, president Jean-Pierre Boyer of Haiti sent Dézir Dalmassi to San Juan and other cities to amass support for the incoming annexation. In 1821, San Juan became part of the short-lived Republic of Spanish Haiti
The Independent Republic of Spanish Haiti ( es, República del Haití Español), also called the Independent State of Spanish Haiti () was the independent state that resulted from the defeat of Spanish colonialists from Santo Domingo on November ...
, which would later be annexed by the Republic of Haiti (1820-1849) the following year. During this time, the city was known as Saint-Jean de la Maguâna and was part of the department of Ozama in the Haitian state.
The eastern part of Hispaniola declared independence as the Dominican Republic on February 27th, 1844 and San Juan became part of the province of Azua. Haitian forces would attempt to recapture the east in a 12 year war; one of these battles, the Battle of Santomé, took place close to San Juan. Dominican forces prevailed and San Juan and surrounding areas remained a part of the Dominican Republic.
Since its inception San Juan flourished due to its fertile lands and climate. a diverse range of fruits were grown in the town; the exploitation of sugarcane as a commercial item of importance, were the main line for the employment of labor. San Juan possessed in principle four "mills" for the exploitation of cane. The first of these mills was installed in the center of town.
Economy
The main economic activities in the province are livestock and agriculture; as it has been since the since colonial times thanks to the fertile soil and climate which is suitable for cultivation of cereals and legumes such as beans, rice, corn, peanuts, pigeon peas, and sorghum.Climate
Owing to its location in a sheltered basin, San Juan de la Maguana has a relatively drytropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of ...
( Köppen ''Aw''). Maxima are hot year-round, although the city’s moderate altitude lessens humidity somewhat and cools the mornings by around . There is a very pronounced dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The ...
from December to March, when only of rain can be expected, and a moderate wet season covering the remainder of the year
Demographics
According to the 2012 Population and Housing Census, the municipality had a total population of 169,032. The urban population of the municipality was 60.10%. These population data include the populations of the municipal districts.Notable people
Sandy Alcantara, Major League Baseball pitcherReferences
Municipalities of the Dominican Republic Populated places in San Juan Province (Dominican Republic) Populated places established in 1503 {{DominicanRepublic-geo-stub